WASHINGTON COUNTY ADDS THIRD AMBULANCE TO DECREASE RESPONSE TIMES

Sheriff Kevin Crews and EMS Director, Randy Truette, worked passionately with the Washington County Board of County Commissioners to devise a plan that would afford citizens a reduced time of response and updated equipment to assist in emergency situations.

Recently updated patient care and communication equipment, treatment protocols, and an online training and human resource center, have improved functionality and patient safety.

Just last year, Washington County EMS, which is under the direction of Washington County Sheriff’s Office, announced the purchase of a new ambulance. That ambulance was obtained through a grant from the Department of Health, paying for more than $87,000 of the cost.

This week, another part of the plan was put into action when an EMS substation was opened at the Emergency Operations Center in Wausau. The station will be operational during peak call times for 12-hour shifts, 7 days a week. Adding the third ambulance to this location will further assist in the reduction of response times within the county.

“The proper tooling of our Emergency Medical Services is critical to the safety of our citizens,” says Sheriff Crews. “Serving a rural county can be challenging, financially and geographically. It was important, to all of us, to set forth a sound plan that allowed us to grow and better serve our county, regardless of the obstacles we were faced with.”